Jerusalem Court Orders Longer Custody after Israeli Crackdown on PA Security Forces
JERUSALEM, Israel – Israel Police extended the jail time for 32 members of the Palestinian Authority security forces arrested Sunday evening in predominantly Arab neighborhoods in Jerusalem's eastern sector.
The Jerusalem District Court ordered the men to remain in custody for questioning at least through Thursday.
During Sunday's raid, police officers seized large quantities of cash, both Israeli and foreign; various PA police uniforms and badges; military equipment and ammunition; and a variety of documentation, including certificates and photographs.
Arrestees included Arab citizens holding Israeli identity cards, as well as non-citizens.
Israeli law prohibits Arab residents from joining PA security forces and carries a minimum seven-year prison term if convicted.
Earlier on Sunday, police took PA governor for Jerusalem Adnan Gheith into custody for the second time this month. Police suspect he may have been involved in the kidnapping of a US citizen arrested by the PA for facilitating the sale of Arab-owned land to Jews. The Jerusalem Magistrates Court ordered him to remain in custody five days for questioning.
PA President Mahmoud Abbas appointed Gheith to the post last August. Some analysts suspect his arrest is connected to an uptick in PA prosecution of Arab residents suspected of taking part in land transactions with Jews.
In October, the Palestinian Authority arrested an Arab-American living in Bethlehem suspected of selling land to Jews.
"The 55-year-old man, who is a US citizen, is being interrogated by the Palestinian security agencies in Ramallah for his role in the sale of an Arab-owned house in the Old City of Jerusalem to a Jewish organization," the Jerusalem Post quoted an unnamed source.
According to the report, the PA says he acted as a "solicitor" between the owner of the property and the Jewish organization that purchased the house.
